Smog control box



.. ET AL 2,957,545

Oct. 25, 1960 E. B. LEWIS, SR

SMOG CONTROL BOX 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 26, 1957 Oct- 25, 1960 E. B. LEWIS, SR., x-:TAL 2,957,545

SMOG CONTROL BOX 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 26, 1957 INVENTORS pn/MD 5. fw/5,.

ATTD RN EYE Y Patented Oct. 25, 1960 SMOG CONTROL BOX Edward B. Lewis, Sr., Edward B. Lewis, Jr., and George J. Lewis, all of 4746 Knoxville St., Lakewood, Calif.

Filed Sept. 26, 1957, Ser. No. 686,528

2 Claims. '(Cl. 183-9) This invention relates to smog control devices particularly for use on motor vehicles, -and in particular a housing formed to be installed in an exhaust pipe or a tail pipe of a motor vehicle with a filtering unit having metallic filtering material, such as crinkly copper therein installed in the housing and positioned so that gases pass through the filtering material, which removes smog and the like suspended in the exhaust gases.

The purposes of this invention is to provide means for removing smog forming elements from exhaust gases of motor vehicles to reduce the amount of smog suspended in the air above streets of cities through which large quantities of motor vehicles pass.

Under certain conditions exhaust gases of motor vehicles discharged into the air deposit elements in the air which cause accumulation of smog and, particularly in some cities in the State of California accumulations of smog make operation of motor vehicles difficult, and in some instances, dangerous. The smog forming elements have been traced to exhaust gases of motor vehicles and where such gases are filtered or where certain elements are removed therefrom the quantity of smog in a certain area is reduced,

With this thought in mind this invention contemplates a housing having an inlet connection at one end and an outlet connection at the opposite end and a double Wall unit having filtering materials between the walls and'in which the walls are perforated or formed with wire mesh positioned in the housing and arranged whereby exhaust gases contacting a well in the center of the housing are forced outwardly through perforations of the walls and through the crinkly copper or other filtering material through which the gases pass to the outlet in the end opposite to the end in which the inlet is positioned.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide a housing having gas filtering elements therein in which the housing is formed to be connected in an exhaust pipe or a motor vehicle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a smog arresting element for use in motor vehicles in which the device is installed in the exhaust pipe 'of the vehicle by the average mechanic.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a smog filtering element formed to be positioned in a tail pipe of a motor vehicle in which exhaust gases of the engine of the vehicle are required to pass through filtering elements mounted on the inside of the housing and positioned whereby the exhaust gases are forced to pass through the filtering elements.

A further object of the invention is to provide a smog filtering device that is adapted to be installed in a tail pipe of a motor vehicle without changing parts of the vehicle.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a smog control unit having an inner element adapted to be removed for cleaning in which the device is of 4a simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in view the invention embodies a housing having inlet and outlet connections with an extension depending from the lower portion for holding a tray for chemicals and the like and with an insert including crinkly copper or other metallic filtering material and with the filtering material held by a perforated inner fall, and a cover having a layer of asbestoes between inner and outer walls.

`Other features and adavantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a motor vehicle showing the smog control device connected in the exhaust or tail pipe thereof.

Figure 2 is an exploded View showing `a longitudinal section through the housing with the upper part shown in elevation, a liquid retaining tray formed to be positioned in a depending lower portion of the housing, an inner unit with parts broken away showing a longitudinal section through a portion thereof and a cover also with parts broken away showing a longitudinal section through a portion thereof. I

Figure 3 is a persepective View showing the inner unit removed from the housing.

Figure 4 is a view showing a baie positioned in'the center of the inner unit.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal section through the smog control boxor device showing the device with the parts assembled.

Figure 6 is a cross section through one end of the device taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Figure 7 is a cross section through the intermediate Fig. 9 is an enlarged detailed fragmentary sectional vlrview of one corner of the cover more clearly showing the construction thereof; and

Fig. 10 is an enlarged detailed fragmentary sectional view of the cover securing means.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts the improved smog control device of this invention includes 4a housing having a base 10, side Walls 11 and 12 extended upwardly from the base and end walls 13 and 14 also extended upwardly vided in the end walls 13 and 14 4of the housing and aligned with passages 21 and 22 extended through the housing and closed by a partition 23.

-The base 10 of the housing is provided with a downwardly extended section providing a tray for a liquid or the like, the tray having a base 24, end -walls 25 and 26 and side walls 27 and 28, and, as shown in Fig. 5 a liquid, las indicated by the numeral 29 is placed in the base 24. Any conventional air purifying liquid is used to purify the air as it passes over the tray 24. The base 24 is provided with a drain plug 30 that is threaded in a boss 31 depending from the lower surface thereof.

The side and end walls of the housing extend upwardly from the outer edges of the base 10 and, as shown in Figs. 5 and 8 the inlet and outlet connections 19 and 20 are secured in the end walls 13 and 14 by welding or other suitable means.

The housing is provided with the cover including the outer panel 15, the inner panel 16 and the intermediate layer of asbestos material 17 and the cover is provided with a continuous flange 32 by which the cover is secured on the upper edge of the housing, Fig. 9.

The housing is formed to receive the inner filtering unit 18 which, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 is formed with a base 33, side walls 34 and 35 and an upper panel 36 and a tapering core extends longitudinally through the center. As illustrated in Fig. 6 the core is formed with a base 37, side walls 38 and 39and an upper panel 40 at one end and a similar unit including a base 41, side walls 42 and an upper panel 43 is provided in the opposite end. The two units, which form the passages 21 and 22 are separated by the partition 23 and the partition is provided with a V-shaped ridge 44, as shown in Fig. 8. The side and end Walls of the core and also the base portions and upper panels converge from the end plates 13 and 14 of the housing to a point 4S, at the center and, at this point, the partition 23 forms a complete closure.

A peripheral area 46 between the outer walls 33, 34, 35, and 36 and the inner frustro-conical shaped unit providing a core is filled with crinkly copper or other suitable filtering material whereby all foreign matter and particularly volatilized oils suspended in the exhaust gases are arrested or removed from the exhaust gases passing through the housing.

The inner converging walls of the unit 18 are suspended from the outer walls by bars 47, 48, and 49 secured in position by welding, brazing, or other suitable means, as shown in Fig. 3, and similar bars are provided at the opposite end. The inner walls, such as the walls 37, 38, 39 and 40 at one end and 41, 42, and 43 at the opposite end are perforated or formed 4with wire mesh or other suitable material.

The cover, including the outer panel 15, inner panel 16 and layer of asbestos material 17 is secured to the housing by hinges 50 at one side and by clasps including loops 51 that engage keepers 52 that are secured to the flanges 32 of the cover and are actuated by the pivotal lever 53 by which the loops 51 are drawn downwardly, similar to latches of a trunk.

In use, the smog control box, as indicated by the numeral 54 is connected in the tail pipe or exhaust 55 of a vehicle having a chassis 56 and with all exhaust gases of the vehicle passing through the housing the smog forming elements suspended in the gases are removed.

With the inner filtering unit 18, formed as illustrated and described, the unit may be removed for cleaning and readily replaced.

With the unit installed, as illustrated in Fig. 1, the exhaust gases pass through the inlet 19 into the area 21 in one end of the housing, through perforations in the walls 37, 38, 39 and 40 into the filtering chamber 46 and from the filtering chamber through the walls 41, 42, and 43 into the chamber 22 from which they exhaust through the connection 20.

It will be understood that modifications, within the scope of the appended claims, may be made in the design and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. In a smog control device, the combination which comprises an elongated rectangular-shaped housing having a base with side and end walls extended upwardly therefrom and having a liquid reservoir extended downwardly from the base, an inlet connection on the end Wall at one end of the housing, an outlet connection on the end wall at the opposite end of the housing, and a filter unit having a base, side walls, and an upper panel and having a core with perforated diverging inner walls extended from a Vtransversely disposed partition at the center of said core to said end walls, said core being positioned centrally of said housing and said diverging inner walls being spaced from the base, side walls and upper panel of said filter unit, and crinkly copper in the space between the base, upper panel and side walls and the diverging walls of said core and the said parts being assembled whereby exhaust gases of an engine pass into one end of the device, through the crinkly copper positioned in the space between the walls of the filter unit and core and exhaust through said outlet connection.

2. In a smog control box, the combination which comprises an elongated housing rectangular-shaped in elevation and rectangular-shaped in section and having a base with side and end walls extended upwardly therefrom, said base having a depressed portion therein and said depressed portion being formed to contain a liquid, and a filter unit having a base, side walls, and an upper panel positioned in the housing and having a core with included lower, upper and side Walls extended from a transverse partition positioned at the center of the core to the end walls of the housing and with the lower Walls of the core diverging from the transverse partition to the end walls of the housing, said lower walls being spaced from the upper and side walls of said filter unit, and a cover hinged, at one side to a side wall of the housing and having latch elements for clamping the cover upon the upper end of the housing, the space between the upper, and side walls of the filter unit and the lower inclined walls of the core containing crinkly copper.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 707,774 Harris Aug. 26, 1902 1,460,896 Freeman July 3, 1923 1,522,111 Franck-Philipson Ian. 6, 1925 1,808,170 Kamrath June 2, 1931 1,833,919 Sisson Dec. 1, 1931 1,921,783 Schneider Aug. 8, 1933 1,926,433 Cartmeu sept. 12, 1933 2,077,563 Henry Apr. 20, 1937 2,185,584 Boyce Ian. 2, 1940 2,738,854 Thrower Mar. 20, 1956 2,795,103 Jenison June 11, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 503,021 Italy of 1954 

